The dreaded C-word

The dreaded C-word: CANCER. It's been a long time since I've blogged, and I've written so many posts that I haven't published. I've really missed blogging, and as I sit here typing this, I wish I was posting one of those other posts - posting about when Hush passed her Canine Good Citizen test, or posting about how cute it is that Milly licks Hush's ears after I clean them, how my two beloved Golden Retrievers have become inseparable best friends, how I've fallen in love with an amazing man, whom I now live with and we share our lives not just with each other, but also with our two goldens, and his toy poodle, Ally. Oh, how I wish I was posting one of those stories right now. But I'm not. Instead, I'm writing about how my beloved Milly has cancer.

Yesterday, was picturesque, to say the least. I woke up in the morning, early for me on a Sunday. Two of my dear friends, Eileen and Olivia came over, we packed a picnic and headed to Markham, VA for a day of sour cherry picking. We brought Milly, Hush, Ally, and Evan (Eileen's dog, and one of my dogs' best friends, especially for outdoor adventures). When we got to the Orchard we let all the dogs of their leashes, and they raced through the apple trees away from other cherry-picking-patrons, sniffing every leaf, joyfully rolling in the grass, catching a wiff of something in the air and darting off after a flying bird - in short, it was any dog's best day. We all commented on how great Milly looked, a picture of health and fitness - at 13 or so years, she can outrun Evan (a seasoned long-distance runner, and Eileen's companion as she trains for half and full marathons), Hush (just shy of two years old, her body is muscular and fit, as a retriever's should be - she's fast and has incredible endurance)... so it's truly amazing to see this geriatric dog joyfully racing at lightning speeds through the fields. It was a perfect day - warm, but not hot like DC June days tend to be. We picked cherries, we laughed, the dogs played. After, I headed home, grabbed a quick bite to eat and packed up my beach bag for a pool-party father's day cookout at the beau's father's house. My beach bag contained all the necessities: towel for me, two towels for the dogs, a ziplock baggy filled with freeze dried bison, and plenty of toys for both land and water. Milly again was filled with joyful energy as she darted across yard, begged for bites of everyone meals, and even took dip in the pool. You may remember, Milly fails as a water retriever - she doesn't like to play fetch, and she's not a fan of swimming... but, Hush who loves the water, has influenced Milly... slowly helping her gain confidence in the water - and for a few minutes Milly was happy to cool off in the pool.

When we got home we were all exhausted. We went to bed - the dogs conked out on the bedroom floor. In the middle of the night I woke up to Milly breathing heavily, making that tell tale noise all dog owners know as "my dog is about to puke!" Sure enough, up came some sort of food, and I groggily pulled myself out of bed to clean it up, make sure Milly had water, and went back to sleep thinking she must've gotten into some human food at the cookout. A few hours later, the above happened again, and I began to get a little worried. An hour later, the process was repeated for the third time - by this time Milly was breathing heavily, and I realized she had urinated all over the floor, and all over herself. Something was seriously wrong. I tried to get her to stand up, and she wouldn't. She just lay there, heavily panting. I couldn't get her to move, not even for treats. I checked her gums, they were somewhat pale and dry. Her heart seemed to be pounding faster than normal, her breathing was heavy, and her lower end was covered in urine. We picked her up and carried her to the car and raced to the vet. 

When I got to the vet a tech help me carry her inside, and took her vitals. My normal vet is on her honeymoon, so I saw someone else. The vet listened to her heart, it was beating fast. Listened to her lungs, they sounded wheezy. Her stomach was tender to the touch, and hard. Her lymph nodes were okay. Her gums were pale and dry. She was listless, depressed looking, panting heavily. The vet wanted to give her IV fluids, some strong anti-nausea medicine, run a complete blood work panel, and take x-rays of her chest. I was told it could just be a virus, it could be something more sinister like cancer or organ failure, it may be a blockage in her intestines... we wouldn't know until after the diagnostics. I left and went home, nervous, but hoping for something mild like a stomach virus. A few hours later, the vet called. Milly was feeling better - they'd gotten results of the blood work, and nothing was concrete. The blood work had abnormalities in it - liver count was off, white cells were a little off, etc. but nothing pointed to any one thing. Disconcerting, to say the least. The x-rays, however, proved more useful. From multiple angles a fairly large tumor was present on her lung. I was shocked. In all of Milly's years with me, she has been the epitome of health... and I don't mean healthy for an older dog, I mean healthy for any dog - young or old. 

Based on where the tumor is, it is unlikely the cancer started there - it more than likely has spread to her lungs from another part of her body. The vet reassured me there are options - there is a great oncologist nearby, we don't have to make any decisions right now. Or, based on her age we could simply treat the symptoms as they crop up - let her live out her days and keep her happy and comfortable, and enjoy the time I have left with her. The vet wanted to do an ultrasound, and I agreed to that - based on where the tumor is, we may even be able to biopsy it during the ultrasound. Milly could stay over night, and have the ultra sound in the morning, or I could come pick her up and bring her back. I chose latter. She's with me now, groggy, sleeping at my feet. Her breathing is loud, but she is happy and peaceful. I can't help but listen to every breath and wonder how many more I'll hear. 

So tomorrow I'll learn just how bad it is. How many days, weeks, or months she has left. I haven't completely decided, but I think based on her age, I'm not going to pursue chemotherapy and/or radiation I know she's a fighter - but I don't want to put her through that. Again, I haven't completely decided. Hopefully the ultrasound can help by giving us more answers that we can use to treat symptoms as they arise, and keep her comfortable and happy. I can't stop crying. I'm not ready to say goodbye, and despite her age, I never thought this day would come.
 

Milly's Lump and More:

This morning I took Milly to the vet - I had some trouble making an appointment before my trip to Florida (I was there for a long weekend, and to escape the snow of DC), so I decided to just schedule it for when I returned from vaccation.

My gut feeling that it was just a cyst proved to be true! Praise the Lord, and thank you all for your kind words, thoughts and prayers as I worried about my sweet Milly, and the possibility of this lump being cancerous. My vet let me watch the entire aspiration process, and it was very interesting. We also went ahead and did a semi-annual senior exam and complete blood work. I'll have the results from the bloodwork on Monday, and hopefully everything will be A okay! My vet was very impressed with Milly's over all condition and health, and that always makes me feel good. I work very hard to give her optimum care.

The more I see veterinary procedures like today the more I think I would like to go to vet school. I'm slowly learning how to do basic things myself like draw blood, give shots, and express anal glands... which is all enjoyable for me (okay, the anal glands stink, but I save a lot of money doing them myself).

As a thank you for all of your kind thoughts about Milly I want to share this hilarious video of a Rottweiler singing Pink Floyd! ENJOY!!



Also, keep spreading the word about The Wet Nose... we're so close to 100 followers, and when we get there there will be a GREAT giveaway!! :)

I FOUND A LUMP ON MILLY

I've been hesitant to post about this until I find out what exactly is going on, but decided the entire purpose of this blog is a learning experience, and my readers are along for the ride as I learn everything I possibly can about dogs.

Most of you know I live in Arlington, VA, two stop lights from Washington, DC, and may have seen on the news we've been slammed with snow - I measured 28 inches in my front yard before the snow stopped falling, and we're supposed to get another 18-20" before 9pm tomorrow night! All of this snow has forced me to spend a lot of time in the house with Milly, and she has loved all of the attention.

A few days ago my boyfriend was petting her and noticed a lump on just above her shoulder. It's about the size of my thumb nail, and firm to the touch. It does not appear to cause her any discomfort when I press on it. Of course, I panicked! Cancer is a documented disease in dogs, and the large Golden Retriever population (consistently ranked one of the top five most popular breeds in the country) makes cancer that much more prevalent in Goldens. That being said, older dogs are known to develop harmless warts, and other benign growths, especially Goldens.

The odds are in my favor, Milly is a geriatric (don't tell her that, I think she missed the memo), and at an age when dogs develop all sorts of benign fatty tumors, growths and other cysts, but even knowing this, I still want to get it checked out. Normally, by now Milly would have been seen by the vet, but the snow is putting a major damper in that plan! It took three days just to dig my car out, and I had to go into work today, so the vet appointment will have to wait.

I thought I had a commitment with Junior League tonight, but I got the days wrong, and the commitment is tomorrow. As soon as I click "Publish Post" I'll be calling my vet to see if I can get a last minute appointment, otherwise I'll wait until after Snowmageddon Round II, and go at the end of the week.

I touch Milly all the time. I make a point to physically go over her at least every other day looking for any bumps, lumps, cuts, or burrs in her coat. I check inside her mouth weekly, paying special attention to her gums. When she's out in the yard I make a point of watching her movement at the walk and trot at least once a week. She's an older dog, and doing this will help me notice any signs of arthritis or joint problems she may develop as she continues to age.

Even with all of my touching and checking I missed this lump. If you don't already go over your dog at least weekly, I reccomend starting to do so. If this lump were to turn out to be the dreded C-word, which I really don't think it is, I will have caught it early, and the odds of successful treatment will be in our favor. If it isn't the dreaded C-word, it will be something my vet can aspirate and keep an eye on at each of Milly's semi-annual senior exams. There are some things we simply cannot prevent in our dogs, but knowing what is normal and what is abnormal in your individual dog will enable you to see signs and red flags of potential health problems. Catching things early, or even before they develop is critical.

Dog Heroes of September 11th

I was not the only one who found comfort in an animal on September 11^th, but many stranded in the ruble of Ground Zero were rescued by canines and I can only imagine the comfort these faithful dogs gave to victims and rescue crew alike. These four legged heroes walked across burning metal, hot concrete, through smoke, fire and ash to find survivors. The dog heroes of 9/11 often went places humans were physically not capable of going, and assisted in the search, recovery and rescue of many victims. Of course, you cannot pay tribute to any canine hero with out remembering the handlers who helped train and guide these dogs in their rescue missions.

For days dogs searched for survivors. Many of the canine heroes could not begin searching until after 9/11, because all flights had been grounded, and those called to serve were unable to make it to Ground Zero, but the work in the days following was still equally as strenuous, if not more so. These dogs stepped up to the challenge, and displayed their dedication to their handlers, to the human race, and to helping. They courageously put their lives on the line in a way most dogs would never be able to do, and assisted our nation.

A few years ago I checked out a book from the library that has become one of my favorites. Dog Heroes of September 11^th: A Tribute to America’s Search and Rescue Dogs, is an incredible book filled with photos of rescue dogs, the stories of the grueling training that went into making them capable to assist on September 11^th, the pain the dogs faced as they were unable to locate survivors, and the comfort the dogs gave firefighters and rescue crew on site after the terrorist attacks. This is a must read for any dog lover, and a wonderful tribute to many of the dogs that served our nation.

Many of the dogs that took part in the rescue missions are now elderly canines, and some have since crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Many have died from cancer, whether or not their work at Ground Zero and contact with harsh toxins and chemicals in the ruble caused this disease is unknown. This video is a news tribute to one dog that served her nation, and passed away almost one year ago.

Guest blogger!

My dear friend Whitney was kind enough to share this post with all of my readers! I hope you enjoy, but please have your tissue box nearby!

When you cry from the Pet Smart ad on TV, because the golden featured in it looks just like your dog, you know you truly loved your dog. You know that you were a caring owner who would have done anything to make your best friend comfortable, happy, and healthy. When you are walking on the beach with your Dad while on vacation, and a golden runs up to you instead of its owner, you know it is because that dog knows you love goldens.

Lady was the only thing I ever threw a temper tantrum for when I was younger. My father had never allowed us to have a dog, only cats and horses as pets. His argument was that he had loved his dog, Lord Canterbury (an Old English sheepdog), too much to bear another dog possibly dying in his lifetime. So, for my birthday one year, I asked for a dog. Nothing else. Not even a new dress. I only wanted a dog.

So, when August came along, my parents drove my brother and me to Blacksburg. My Mom helped me pick Lady out. She was the runt of the litter, born from a beautiful tawny red mother and a palomino-blonde father. Both were AKC show dogs, healthy and happy. Lady had long eyelashes and this unmistakable grin, even as an 8-week old.

She was a big jumper in the beginning. But she could already play fetch like a pro. My Dad taught me how to play lacrosse when I was young, so when I was outside exercising Lady I would throw a lacrosse ball and she would fetch it. She learned so fast how to catch balls in the air and how to retrieve balls when they were buried in the sand, mud, or snow. I think autumn was the hardest for her, as we lived on a small horse farm and had several mature maple trees around the yard – and the lacrosse balls we bought were always orange or yellow… not in her favor! But my favorite thing is when she would lose a ball and then find it ten months later buried under a foot of dirt – it was like she had remembered where it was after all that time.

Around the age of 8 or 9, she started to become more lethargic, less active. She would still play lacrosse with us, but she did not enjoy taking walks as much as she used to. She would love to be in dark corners, the woods, or would run away to be alone. When we took her to the vet, they said she had a tumor on her belly, so we of course had her operated on… Two years later, another tumor and another surgery… This June, she was worse than ever. She had just turned 13, and she would not even get up to play lacrosse. It was sudden, shocking, and devastating. She was the light of my Dad’s life, who had taken to her a great deal after I left for boarding school and then college. When he called me to tell me the bad news, that she had a spleen tumor, he cried. I came home and spent 3 days with her. Spending hours brushing her hair and begging and pleading for her to even just pick up her ball that I rolled to her. She refused to drink water, so I would have to soak her beloved dog biscuits in water to get even some moisture on her. She loved for me to massage her limbs and brush her, and I was more than happy to make my pretty girl comfortable.

When I left to go to work on July 13, 2009, it was time to say goodbye. She actually was up and walking around with my Dad, and I wrapped my arms around her neck and smelled her unmistakable scent: sunshine, wet grass, and mulch. I convinced myself to not bawl in front of her as I had done it already a dozen times. I did sniffle a bit as I told her I loved her and I would never ever forget everything she did for me. She gave me her grin, and licked the tip of my nose. And that was it. Lovely Lady of Lexington was put down on July 14, 2009. My best friend, my most loyal friend, is gone from my life. Even now, almost three weeks later, my tears well up a bit when I think about future holidays and visits home without her greeting me at the door. She was an incredibly beautiful and loving golden for over 13 years.

Here is my lesson from this story: always watch for developments on your dog’s frame. Lady’s spleen tumor grew and developed almost overnight - you have to really be super-conscious of your dog’s behavior to catch anything fast enough. Spleen tumors are actually pretty common in golden retrievers, so be aware of them when they even just slightly limp. If you do not have the time to exercise your dog enough to notice a moderate change in her behavior in one day then find someone who can exercise your dog for you while you are at work. If my parents had not gotten her up to play as they did like clockwork three times daily, we would have had a much more difficult situation to handle. We could not have done anything even if we had wanted to, but at least we loved her enough to prevent her from suffering.

SPECIAL SURVIVOR TO PARTICIPATE IN STOKES CO. RELAY FOR LIFE

Cindy Taylor April 29, 2009

Germanton, NC

Phone: (336) 591-5358

SPECIAL SURVIVOR TO PARTICIPATE IN STOKES CO. RELAY FOR LIFE

Meggie Olivia Taylor is a cancer survivor who has beaten the odds. Diagnosed with t-cell lymphoma on Jan. 31, 2008, and given 6 to 8 months to live, the 10-year-old will participate in the May 15 Relay for Life in Stokes County, NC. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life is an annual 24-hour walk held in hundreds of locations throughout the country.

What makes Meggie’s story so remarkable is that Meggie is a dog – a red-haired golden retriever to be exact. Meggie also has a knack for fundraising. She currently is ranked second on the list of fundraisers for this Relay for Life event, having collected $1,625 in contributions from friends and admirers.

After Cindy Taylor of Germanton, NC, Meggie’s ‘mom,’ posted her story on the Golden Retriever Forum, an on-line community of golden retriever lovers that includes members in the U.S. and around the world, contributions started pouring in. Meggie soon met and quickly surpassed her initial $200 goal. Soon thereafter, the $500 goal fell, followed by $750 and $1,000 targets. Her current goal is to raise $2,300 to aid the fight against cancer.

“Having Meggie with me every day is something I don’t take for granted,” Taylor said, “but knowing that Meggie has inspired and given hope to others makes her life even more special. We hope that through this Relay event we can give back and help fight back against cancer.”

Meggie will participate in the Survivor Lap, complete with a special purple T-shirt, at the start of the 24-hour event, most likely riding in her shiny, new, red wagon. Meggie tires easily, so she sometimes needs to use her ‘wheels’ to get around.

Meggie finished her chemotherapy in May 2008 and also underwent two half-body radiation treatments at North Carolina State University’s veterinary teaching hospital. As a result of the radiation, Meggie lost her hair and went through several months of intense skin issues, but she has regained her beautiful red coat.

Now in her 15^th month post-diagnosis, this canine survivor also has struggled with several other complicating factors, including a grade VI heart murmur and a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis in December 2008 after a bad case of pneumonia.

The West Stokes Relay for Life will be held at West Stokes High School, with the Survivor Lap beginning at 6 p.m. Additional contributions to Meggie’s fight against cancer can be made at

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=10027105&fr_id=12720&pg=personal

For more about Meggie, visit her Web site at

http://home.earthlink.net/~pocod/